REFLECTION
After taking ENC2135, I learned how connected genre, composing, and rhetorical strategies are. Perhaps it was based on the chronology of the actual projects, but for instance, genre entirely dictates the route a message is going to take. And truly, what amuses me so much about genre is its flexibility in content, form, and field. A genre could range from a horror movie to a tabloid, which is my favorite lesson from this class. Although an English class is expected to focus on stereotypically boring literature, in this class, we looked at art analysis, comical pieces of writing, and even unique connections between songs.
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Having the realization in the back of my head of how broad the genre spectrum was, I had an increased sense of excitement working on my projects. I now had more options to choose from an extensive array of different genres. Through this strategic selection, I composed pieces that rhetorically contributed to the specific message I was trying to convey through my projects.
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By brainstorming rhetorical aspects in my project, I learned how to effectively communicate the message that data mining was a threat to online users and simultaneously improved my everyday communication skills. I amplified my skills in analyzing my audiences, whether I should focus on a logical or emotional dialogue, and even how minuscule aspects of everyday life, such as my tone of voice, impacted my day-to-day interactions with the world surrounding me. Rhetoric truly is a form of art; I perceive it as a disguised form of manipulation, and understanding its mechanism is a form of power. Anything from a font color on a poster, stylistic insertions such as strategic commas, and adequately timed questions are a part of rhetoric. Yet, above all things, knowing the functionality of rhetoric is an advantage to perspective on how the world works. For instance, governmental figures use rhetoric in their speeches to increase their following of people and gain voters. Name brands will sell you their products through seemingly perfect advertisements intended for you to fall into a trap and spend your money. Even petitioners on campus will try to get you to give away your signature through an overdramatized statement along the lines of " sign here to save a life!" So the simplicity of understanding rhetoric is a gateway to unlocking a new level of intellectual comprehension of one's surroundings.
In conclusion, genre, composition, and genre intertwine into one big masterpiece. Before taking this class, I distinguished them as distinct components of English, but I learned they are far more related and co-dependent than I initially thought. Now, I view them as a strategic thought process. As previously mentioned, the strategic order of projects one through four helped me visualize how incorporating these three elements is essential when researching a topic, investigating a field of study, or even talking with my friends. Although I learned how the combination of these elements optimally works together in unison, I am now able to apply their effectiveness in my everyday life.
